Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese Recipe

best mac & cheese ever!! i eliminated breadcrumbs & butter. i added lots of fresh sliced tomatoes (tossed w/ pepper) between mac & cheese mixture. also added 1/2 - 3/4 c skim milk (per another reviewer's suggestion) & used fat free/reduced fat sour cream, cottage cheese & shredded cheese & low carb pasta. gotta try to make it healthier somehow!!

Of all the dishes I have tried from this site, this is one of my top favorites, and my family and friends rave about it. I make it exactly as directed except skip the breadcrumbs and cover the top in a thick layer of cheese instead. It is interesting to read all the mixed reviews on this mac and cheese, because depending upon what part of the country you are from, people eat different kinds of mac and cheese. Some people like creamy and some people like it the way this one is made. The mac and cheese that I am used to making and eating that taste like this is made with egg. The cottage cheese in this recipe gives the same consistency of that without the egg, and I like that. Thanks so much! This recipe has really been a great find for me!

I doubled this recipe for Thanksgiving. I was a winner! Accordingly I used 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese and 8 Monterey Jack to calm down the sharpness of the flavor. I accidentally forgot to put the Parmesan cheese in there and my very food savvy husband said it really did not need it. Though you certainly could put it in there. Also instead of breadcrumbs, I used one sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed up for the topping. Because I saw one reviewer say that it was dry, I left out about a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the cooked noodles to avoid that possibility, and it seemed perfect. I promise you it was not dry!

Use a 16 oz container of cottage cheese to combat dryness issues. Also always use crumbled ritz crackers for the topping. Use an 8x8 dish for one serving, double it to fit in a 9x13 dish (and double it, this stuff is awesome).

I made a few minor changes after reading reviews. I put the cottage cheese in my food processor so it was nice and creamy. I used yogurt instead of sour cream (it's what I had on hand). I sauteed a small chopped onion and some red pepper. I also added a bit of Dijon and a little cayenne. As others suggested, I used 1/4 cup bread crumbs and mixed in some grated old cheddar and sprinkled on top. This recipe is definitely a keeper. My picky husband and I both really liked it. I think it would also be good with bacon - will try next time.

I doubled and followed the recipe and used some of the suggestions I found in the reviews. I used regular sharp and regular parmesan cheeses, low fat cottage cheese, low fat sour cream, and I added 3/4 C skim milk and a few dashes cayenne pepper. I used 1/4 C melted butter mixed with 1 C panko bread crumbs for the topping. Everybody loved it, and I sent the recipe out to two friends. It mades a hearty 9x13 and 8x8 pans. Thank you Chuck.

Love love love this mac&cheese! I don't add bread crumbs to mine because I think that's strange but other than that, I follow the recipe exactly. Don't leave out the cottage cheese! It's always the hit of the party in its ooey gooey cheesy goodness. I also like to take this camping with me. Prep it like normal, add additional milk to keep it moist and throw it in a couple gallon ziplock bags. When you're ready to cook, throw your pasta in a foil pie pan (don't forget to grease!!) wrapped with foil and throw it on the fire. Yum yum yum!!

COOK THE PASTA FIRST! The recipe doesn't mention that crucial step! I used extra sour cream (because I had a bit extra on hand that needed to get used up). Put cottage cheese and sour cream and parmesan in a blender to disguise the cottage cheese from my son. Didn't have sharp cheddar - it would have been even better! And I forgot salt and pepper - would have been a nice addition. I am on a slow carb diet, so I replaced the bread crumbs on top with some extra cheese, which turned out delicious!

As is, it's a little dry. I followed recommendations to use all 16oz of the cottage cheese and add 1/2c of milk. I did use butter with panko bread crumbs to give it a golden look and buttery flavor. I used shell pasta for fun. It was creamy. Everyone loved it. YUM!

I have made this mac & cheese so many times over the last 10 years that my best friend used to call it Tatum's Famous Mac & Cheese (sorry Chuck). Since I can't eat cheddar (migraines) I replace the cheese with Colby Jack usually, but I've used Havarti (amazing) & young Gouda, and blends of all those. The rest of the recipe I don't change. (Trader Joe's sells a simple panko I use for breadcrumbs.) The last time I made it, I used a handful of crumbled JW Macy's Asiago & Cheddar cheesecrisps with the panko, and omg! I've tried other mac & cheeses, but none come close to this one. Two Christmases ago, I made it for a work potluck, and it was a such a hit I had to give friends the recipe link on the spot! My photo is from this Thanksgiving with broccoli casserole & mashed potatoes. It is very rich, but shouldn't a comfort food be something that makes your stomach & heart sing?

I wasn't sure if my family would like this mac n cheese recipe as we like the "soul food" type mac n cheese. I saw this recipe and thought, "why not"? Well, my family and friends raved over this mac n cheese. I have experimented with different shredded cheeses and our fave combo is 2-8 oz bags of sharp cheddar, 1-8oz bag of gouda and 1-8 oz bag of a Queso mix shredded cheese. I skip the breadcrumbs and put a bag of sharp cheddar on top. I double the recipe and it comes out great every time! The only thing I'm not a fan of is even though I buy small curd cottage cheese, some of the curds are still noticeable when cooked. It still tastes great!

I've been making mac cheese like this for over 30 years with a couple deviations. I sometimes grate an onion in, depending on which kid is eating it and I always add basil to the pasta while cooking. I season the cooked pasta with pepper, garlic powder, celery salt and smoked paprika and I use a mixture of extra sharp cheddar, provolone and asiago - grated by hand and 1/4-1/2 C. milk. Ritz cracker/melted butter topping or a pkg. of FF onion pieces on top. For those that don't like seeing the curds put the cottage cheese in a blender for 30+ seconds.

The only change I made was I shredded my cheddar cheese.. If you use pre- shredded cheddar cheese your macaroni and cheese will have a grainy texture. And will not be smooth and creamy. Just my opinion of course.

Made this with full fat ricotta, freshly shredded cheddar, and freshly grated 24 month Parmesan cheese. I also added one half to three quarter of a cup of pasta water because the recipe ingredients looked like it would make a dry dish. The better your ingredients going in, the better the product coming out. JMO

Yum! I blended the cottage cheese to disguise it for picky eaters. I only made 1/2 the bread crumb topping and it was the perfect amount of crunch for us.

My cousin started making this recipe 10 years ago and got me hooked! I made it myself for the first time and modified it a little bit by adding 2 beaten eggs and a can of Evaporated milk (I doubled the recipe). Turned out great! Everyone loved it!

This recipe is foolproof and delicious.

Didn’t change a thing! Perfecto!! Bravo!

My friends can’t believe how good it is.

I just didn’t love it. Flavor was a bit bland and I didn’t care for the small curds of cottage cheese being visible. Followed the recipe just doubled it. I did use generic brands (except the cottage cheese) which could have made a difference and panko generic has no flavor. Might try it again.